36 session de la Conférence générale

35 session de la Conférence générale

H.E. Dr Becky R. K. Ndjoze-Ojo, Deputy Minister of Education

“(…) The Draft Programme and Budget for the next biennium demonstrates clear efforts by UNESCO to move towards greater concentration, focus and prioritization of its activities and resources to achieve tangible results and greater impact in Member States.”
“(…) Namibia is pleased to note that Africa and Gender Equality are maintained as global priorities. It is extremely important to develop quantifiable indicators and baseline data. This will enable us to allow us to monitor and evaluate the extent to which UNESCO Programme Sectors have addressed the global priorities in concrete terms. ”
“(…) Namibia stresses the importance of the education biennial sectoral priorities to achieve EFA. ”
“(…) The World Conferences in Education are extremely important. UNESCO therefore, needs to pay particular attention to the implementation of the recommendations of these conferences during the coming biennium.”
“(…) With regards to Natural Sciences, Namibia welcomes the focus on policies and capacity - building in Science, Technology and Innovation for sustainable development and poverty eradication. Hence, our request, once again for the strengthening of the Basic Science Programme. ”
“(…)We further appreciate the focus on disaster preparedness and mitigation as biennial priorities.”
“(…) Namibia urges UNESCO to continue supporting Member States in the areas of training and management of water resources, the promotion and use of renewable energy resources and the promotion of the value and use of indigenous knowledge systems.”
“(…) Concerning the Social and Human Sciences, Namibia supports the emphasis on their contribution to critical global social and ethical issues.”
“(…) We welcome the focus on poverty eradication, fostering peace and dialogue among civilizations and cultures, promoting philosophical reflections and debates, promoting human rights and the fight against discrimination.”
“(…) For these ideals to become a reality, however, UNESCO needs to pay urgent attention to the strengthening of related activities in the Cluster Offices.”
“(…) This should include the decentralization of adequate financial and human resources.”
“(…) Namibia wishes to encourage UNESCO to do more to involve the youth in its programmes and activities in order to address youth unemployment and other issues affecting them.”
“(…) On Culture, Namibia fully supports the two biennial priorities namely, the safeguarding and managing of the tangible and intangible heritage, and the promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions, and the dialogue of cultures.”
“(…) Namibia commends UNESCO for its role of standard setting instruments in the field of Culture. We urge UNESCO to continue providing both financial and technical assistance for advocacy, in order for Member States to ratify and subsequently implement the Conventions.”
“(…) With regards to Communication and Information, we applaud the priority that is given to the promotion of freedom of expression, and to the universal access to information and knowledge. We are further delighted by the emphasis placed on the use of media and information and communication technologies to enhance teaching and learning.”
“(…) On media training institutions and professionals, Namibia wishes to see more efforts in the enhancement of their capacities and competencies in order to ensure the promotion of professional standards and ethics, and the subsequent contribution of media professionals to human rights and good governance.”
“(…) On Reform and Decentralization, Namibia supports the intentions of the broader United Nations System reform and agendas of UNESCO.”
“(…) However, the reform agenda can only become a reality once UNESCO has provided the Field Offices with adequate funding and, most importantly, the expertise and staff at the appropriate seniority level.”
“(…) The Namibian delegation would like to pay tribute to the outgoing Director-General, Mr Matsuura, for his leadership, commitment to UNESCO, and for the reforms that he has introduced to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Organization.”
“(…) I congratulate the Director-General elect, and wish her well and success in her new responsibilities.”

34 session de la Conférence générale

H.E. Hon. Nangolo Mbumba, Minister of Education

“I would like to congratulate and thank the Director-General and his team for the hard work in preparing the Draft Medium-Term Strategy and Draft Programme and Budget documents, which outline the strategic direction and priorities of the Organization for the next biennium and beyond. The content of these documents demonstrate that UNESCO is moving towards greater concentration, focus and prioritization of its resources to achieve the intended results and greater impact in the Member States.”
“The provision of accessible quality education for all citizens has been, and remains the major preoccupation of the Namibian Government, attracting nearly a quarter of its national budget. […] We would like to invite UNESCO and other Member States to collaborate with us in the implementation of this ambitious initiative.”
“As time is no longer on our side, we would like to urge the Director-General to vigorously maintain the momentum and leadership role of Education for All, and to advocate for the achievement of all the six EFA goals and the relevant Millennium Development Goals by mobilizing the international community…”
“Our delegation further supports the emphasis in Major Programme I on policy dialogue and research in order to enhance evidence-based policymaking in education. In this context, the Namibian delegation appreciates the long-term financial assistance and technical support that the IIEP and the Government of the Netherlands have provided to the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ). Equally, our delegation would like to express our appreciation to UNESCO and the Japanese Government for the funds that were provided to us to strengthen our teacher education programmes.”
“Namibia is grateful to UNESCO for the capacity-building initiatives in Member States, particularly in water management, remote sensing and science parks development and management. […] In relation to the AU Summit which was held in Addis Ababa in January 2007, we request UNESCO and other Member States, to respond concretely and concisely to the call of African Heads of State and Government and therefore, support Africa in a tangible manner in the implementation of Africa’s Consolidated Science and Technology Plan of Action.”
“Namibia attaches great importance to the development of fisheries. […] We would like to suggest that we pay equal attention to fresh water fisheries. On the SIMDAS programme, Namibia would like to call upon UNESCO to support the programme, and also to strengthen the institutional framework for the implementation of the programme.”
“Our delegation supports the emphasis on the contribution of Major Programme III to sustainable development, peace and dialogue among civilizations and cultures, philosophical reflections and the promotion of human rights and the fight against discrimination.”
“Concerning Culture, Namibia appreciates UNESCO’s efforts to promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. […] We are very delighted to have our very first site inscribed on the World Heritage List in June 2007.”
“On Communication and Information, we applaud the priority that is given to universal access to information and knowledge for all, as well as the promotion of free, independent and pluralistic communication systems. […] We therefore urge UNESCO to continue providing financial and technical support as well as advice to Member States, particularly in Africa. We approve the Medium-Term Strategy plan that will take us up to 2013, two years before 2015.”